Thursday, March 27, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- Without debate or opposition, the Senate approved a bill allowing local governments to create civilian review boards to look into misconduct of police officers.
The bill, authored by Sen. Joe Neal, D-Las Vegas, was prompted by shootings and other incidents involving Metro Police officers.
Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone, a Metro officer who was visiting the Legislature, declined to say whether he would support creation of a police review board.
"I need to look at the bill," he said. "There is no sense saying yes or no when I haven't had an opportunity to read the bill."
Malone was asked how his co-workers felt about the bill. "You hear different things, no doubt," he said. "But I don't know if they know what the bill exactly states."
Metro Lt. Stan Olsen had testified before the Senate Government Affairs Committee, asking it to delete the subpoena powers of the board. And he complained that the bill looks like a "police control board, not a review board."
Senate Bill 39 now heads for the Assembly where a similar bill is under consideration by the Government Affairs Committee. Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-North Las Vegas, said his bill, Assembly Bill 112, started out similar to Neal's. But he said the committee will consider more amendments to strengthen the review board.
Williams said he offered to put a police officer on the board, but Andy Anderson of the Police Protective Association refused, saying it should be a civilian board.
His amendments would extend the subpoena powers and spell out what the commission is able to investigate. His bill should be up for discussion sometime next week in the Government Affairs Committee.
He said he will talk with Neal but added, "It looks like we will get one of them this session."
Similar bills to create a police review board have been introduced in two past legislative session but were never approved. This one shifts the decision to the local governments, while past bills made it mandatory to establish a commission.
Neal's bill would permit the County Commission or a city council to form the review commission "to advise" the local governments on police and law enforcement issues.
The review commission could take testimony and issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and documents. If a witness refused to appear or produce the papers required by the subpoena, the commission could ask the District Court to order the person to appear, testify and submit documents.
The review commission would not have disciplinary power.
The most recent incident in Southern Nevada involved Metro Officer Ron Mortensen, accused of the Dec. 28 drive-by shooting death of Daniel Mendoza in Las Vegas.
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